Oil and charcoal on canvas, approx. 72 x 80 in.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, Larry Rivers was a established, albeit provocative, figure in the New York art scene. His work often challenged the boundary between the public and the private. "Growing" represents a significant departure from his canvases into the realm of early film portraiture.
Growing 1981 is a controversial documentary by the American artist Larry Rivers that explored his daughter's puberty. Archives And Privacy In The Age Of Accessibility - AVP
Rivers interviewed his daughters about their feelings regarding their changing bodies, sometimes including their mother, Clarice, in the frames. Intent vs. Reception: growing 1981 larry rivers
Larry Rivers —the "Godfather of Pop Art" known for his restless, jazz-fueled approach to the canvas—unveiled a massive painting titled
For fans of Rivers, it is an essential late statement. For newcomers, it serves as a perfect entry point: all his contradictions—realist and abstract, tender and aggressive, cerebral and sensual—are on display. Growing reminds us that Larry Rivers, even when painting something as simple as a houseplant, was never simply painting a thing. He was painting time, desire, and the wild, untidy process of becoming.
The question of whether Rivers's Growing is a legitimate work of art or an act of child abuse has sparked intense debate. Some argue that an artist's role is to break boundaries and explore difficult subjects, no matter how uncomfortable. They point to Rivers's lifelong pattern of pushing limits as central to his genius. But for many, a line is crossed when the subject is one's own child, whose ability to consent is legally and ethically compromised. In 2010, the debate erupted into the mainstream when New York University announced it was purchasing Rivers's archives. Emma Tamburlini came forward publicly to demand that the Growing films be excluded from the acquisition, calling them a "document of exploitation and abuse". The ensuing public pressure was immense, and NYU ultimately reversed its decision, saying it would not accept the Growing films as part of the purchase. This decision was seen by many as a landmark victory for the rights of the subjects of controversial art. Oil and charcoal on canvas, approx
In Rivers’ own writings, he frequently compared the act of painting to gardening—both require patience, a tolerance for mess, and an acceptance of forces beyond one’s control. Growing can be interpreted as a self-portrait of Rivers’ creative process in 1981. The vertical forms, which resemble both plant life and the erect brushstrokes of Franz Kline, represent ideas “sprouting” from the subconscious (the dark ground). The disembodied hand, a recurring motif in Rivers’ work from the 1960s onward, signifies the artist’s intervention without glorifying the artist’s ego. It is not a heroic hand but a tentative, searching one.
The documentary's director, Peter Rosen, along with co-producers, sought to present "an unvarnished look at a complex character," showing both his pivotal role in art history and the deeply troubling choices he made. It asks whether the contributions of such a "godfather of Pop Art" should be denied because of his actions as a father, a question that remains deeply divisive among critics and viewers alike.
The project began as a "family documentary." In 1976, Larry Rivers, a pioneering figure in Pop Art, started filming his two daughters, Gwynne and Emma, then aged 11 and 12. For the next five years, he conducted biannual filming sessions, asking the girls to pose topless or naked while he asked detailed questions about their developing bodies, specifically about how their breasts were growing and whether boys had started to notice them. His work often challenged the boundary between the
The video series served as direct source material for a large-scale painting Rivers completed in 1981. Composition
The legacy of Growing resurfaced years after Rivers' death when his daughter, Emma Tamburlini, publicly condemned the work.
is one of the most controversial and fiercely debated video works in modern American art history. Created by the prominent Pop Art pioneer and Abstract Expressionist figure Larry Rivers, the 45-minute film chronicles the physical maturation of his two adolescent daughters, Emma and Gwynne, over a five-year period. Edited and completed in 1981, the project sat in obscurity for decades until a high-profile archival sale in 2010 thrust it into the center of a national discourse regarding artistic freedom, ethical boundaries, parental exploitation, and the definition of child pornography. The Origin and Production of Growing
Larry Rivers (1923–2002) was a titan of the American art scene, a pioneer who bridged the gap between Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. Often dubbed the "Bad Boy of the Art World," Rivers was known for his provocative, figurative works that challenged traditional notions of art and privacy. However, in 1981, his artistic exploration took a turn that would remain hidden for decades, only to emerge as a deeply troubling, controversial, and polarizing topic in art history. That project was the film series
The existence of the footage became a matter of intense public interest in 2010, following the artist’s death. The Larry Rivers Foundation attempted to sell a massive collection of the artist's archives to New York University (NYU). When it became known that the Growing tapes were included in the collection, the artist's daughter, Emma, publicly spoke out against the sale. She described the filming process as a non-consensual and traumatic experience that had long-lasting negative effects on her well-being. The ensuing debate led to several key outcomes: